And then it decided to snow...

Accumulating snow is enough of a rarity in southern Middle Tennessee that we usually look forward to it. Once or twice a year we get somewhere between a dusting and a few inches and we've covered in many other posts the childish glee and associated travel apocalypse that comes with each snow fall. Snow typically doesn't wear out it's welcome down here because it has the good sense not to fall very often, to limit itself in quantity when it does, and to further limit itself by falling only during winter months, ie. December, January and February. We had a couple of very light dustings, but basically we had no snow at all in middle Tennessee this winter.

So you can imagine our unpleasant surprise when we woke up this morning and it was snowing. To be fair the forecasters said it was coming, but neither Melissa or me took their comments very seriously. Although we put blankets on all the horses a few days ago we did so more as a precaution than because we thought there was any real need. Despite a cool, wet and cloudy month we really haven't had any cold weather for some time. As we were putting all the blankets on we both commented multiple times that it was ridiculous and most probably a considerable waste of time.  March on the cusp of April is very much spring time here in the mid-South. It features budding and leafing trees, blooming shrubs in a variety of colours, green grass, copious amounts of warm sunshine, pleasant temperatures and lots of spring flowers. It does not feature leaden skies, brisk, cold winds and snow.

I came to Tennessee several years ago to marry Melissa. One of the many added bonuses that accrued with my move south was living in a place where springtime came in March instead of May. The normal high at our farm on March 25 is 67 degrees, so yesterday's high of 35 degrees was 32 degrees below normal. Today's high was only 27 degrees below normal. This may or may not be a record, we're not sure yet, but if it isn't it will be close.  Definitely not the type of record we want to be setting.

________________________________________

Lighty and Sebastian (B-Rad and Darby in the background) eating breakfast in the snow. Click on the picture and make it bigger and you can see the snow flurries coming down. This is just wrong in late March.

Norman and Cuff Links grazing in the snow flurries

Noble, Merlin, Fabrizzio and Walden; we briefly had a few isolated patches of snow on the ground this morning as you can see in this picture. Again this is just wrong in late March.

Elfin and Homer; see the snowflakes falling in this picture

Faune, Romeo and Lotus waiting for breakfast under a grey sky

Africa and Johnny

Dutch and Renny

Cinnamon, Maisie, MyLight and Calimba

surprisingly napping seemed to be a popular activity today; Asterik and Lotus

Grand

Tony, Hemi and Baby

Toledo and Kennedy

Hemi and Thomas eating the same blade of hay a couple of days ago. It was cold and windy but at least it was sunny.

Traveller

Snappy and Slinky

Calimba and Maisie